Gruesome Joe’s Musical Morgue

'Cheat The Devil' Review

Listen up Deadites! Gruesome Joe here with the latest installment of the Musical Morgue right here on Rotting Flesh Radio.

This week, we have a trio that hails from Philadelphia, PA—and a band that you’ve already heard here earlier on the show.  We’re talking about the psycho pop rock and roll a billy trio, The Young Werewolves.  If you had a chance to make it to the Philly Zombie Prom, you’ve already had the chance to experience Nick, Dana, and Jonny in all their glory.

The album on the slab here in the Musical Morgue this week is their latest delight, Cheat the Devil, the second album in the band’s catalog following their 2004 debut.  Executive produced by the one and only, incomparable Sid Haig, this album is a sure fire listen to get your pulse pounding and your feet moving.

Take a listen to some of the driving rock in the first track “Hollywood” to get a feel for what I’m talking about.

(“Hollywood” clip)

Fans of horror-themed rock and psychobilly music are certainly going to appreciate this album, as will those looking for a new twist on the nostalgia of the genre.  The Young Werewolves throw back to the roots of the rockabilly style with their skilled playing of just three instruments throughout the album, and driving tempo on all of the tracks, all the while staying true to the root definition of their psychobilly genre—lyrical references to horror, sci-fi, violence, etc.  In addition to their instruments, all of the members contribute to the vocals—each bringing their very own distinct style and tone to the songs.

Listen in now on the third track of the album “Devil Dancer Girl” and get ready to dance…

(“Devil Dancer Girl” clip)

The song “Run Away” is the first slower tempo song on the album, and starts with a killer bass run by Dana.  It is quickly then picked up by the Jon on drums and Nick’s very able electric guitar stylings.  This song in particular was the first to cool down the hot tempo of the album, albeit just a bit.

(“Run Away” clip)

Before I had even listened to the album, I had caught wind of the fact that Sid Haig was the executive producer, and naturally being a fan, I very much hoped that he would make some sort of appearance on the album.  Sid comes through and contributes a very fun and evil introduction to the seventh song on the album “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” making it one of my favorite tracks based on sheer creativity and quality of musicianship.  The song starts off nice and slow with a bass solo, and then gets much livelier and driving.

Now, I know that you’re probably hoping I’ll play that little audio tidbit for you… But I’m not going to.  For that little tidbit, you’ll have to buy the album yourself and give it a listen.

What do you think about that Sid, wicked enough for ya?

ENTER SID HAIG LAUGH AND FADE DOWN FOR UNDERSCORING

The next several songs on the album “Gala Monster Rally,” “Satan’s Daughter,” “Guns, Guns, Guns,” and “Shapeshifter” remind me a lot of the fun horror songs I grew up listening to.  Wailing guitars and catchy tongue-in-cheek lyrics make them some pretty fun party songs you’ll have to turn up on the stereo during your Halloween festivities this year.

Now, there is a song sandwiched between “Satan’s Daughter” and “Guns, Guns, Guns” that stood out to me so much, that I would be a bloody idiot not to highlight it.  It is called “Touched By A Demon.”  This song single handedly proves the musical integrity and ability of the trio, with walking bass lines all over the place, tight guitar licks, and a rocking, driving drum beat—this song is, hands down, one of my favorites on the album.  Maybe it is just that I am a big musical nerd, and the descending bass line makes me giddy—but regardless, this song kicks ass.

Listen to a bit of it now—track 10, “Touched By A Demon.”

(“Touched By A Demon” clip)

Their second to last song “Tattooed Aliens” is very much a tribute to psychobilly itself—starting off with strange ambient noises and buzzes, and then launching into some rocking tunes with lyrics talking about creatures coming down to earth from the stars…  If this song isn’t a true testament to the fun nature of psychobilly, then I don’t know what is.

The final track on the album is my favorite—and maybe that is just because I am such a fan of the original version.  It is a very fun cover of “Hungry Like The Wolf” by Duran Duran.  Now, I don’t know if it is because I grew up with the song, or if it is because I rekindled my love of the song in a bunch of dive pubs when I lived over in London England—but regardless of the cause, this catchy song is performed superbly by The Young Werewolves in a fitting psycobilly tribute to their own name.

So here it is, The Young Werewolves rendition of the 1980’s hit “Hungry Like the Wolf”, the final track on their latest album “Cheat the Devil.”

(“Hungry Like the Wolf” clip)

And there you have it—a superb album that will make you want to get up and boogie before the band hops off the stage and rips you to pieces.  Overall, this album gets two rotten stumps way up, and is sure to be some perfect music for your Halloween parties this year, or maybe even to get you amped up when you’re driving to your favorite haunted attraction.

Make sure to check out their website at www.TheYoungWerewolves.com, or stop by their official myspace page to listen to some of the full length tracks on this album by going to www.myspace.com/youngwerewolves.  Their record label is officially distributing this album on eBay and Amazon.com, so you can head over there and get your copy.  Or, you can also head over to their myspace page and purchase the album and official t-shirts directly through their PayPal links, right in the middle of the page.

Well Deadites, that about wraps up this week’s Musical Morgue music review.  Tune in next time, where we’ll have some more great tunes that I think you’ll probably want to add to your collection.  Until then, I’m Gruesome Joe, and I’ll be chilling out here in the morgue, waiting for you, until next time…